Flower Decoration

Gardening always surprises me — how easily beauty can come from what we might normally discard. Over the past few years, I’ve been playing with new and unexpected flower arrangements using whatever my garden offers each season. Instead of tossing garden trimmings into the compost, I like to repurpose them into creative displays — mixing in vegetables, unruly perennials, and annual cuttings. For a little whimsy, I sometimes weave in clematis or Thunbergia for that extra touch of charm.

Recently, I stumbled upon a gardening magazine article about a winery that incorporates clematis into their floral designs. One of the owners mentioned Constance Spry — a name I hadn’t heard before — and I was instantly intrigued. After a quick search, I found The Surprising Life of Constance Spry by Clarissa Dickson Wright, a wonderful book that dives into her art, resilience, and creativity. It paints a vivid picture of her journey as a pioneering floral designer and businesswoman in pre-war England.

If you love gardening, flowers, or the creative process itself, this book is an inspiring read.

Here are a few of my favorite arrangements from this summer.